Circular-knitting machine.



I J. LAWSON. CIRCULAR KNITTING MACHINE.

APPLICATION F |LED JUNE I4, 1912.

PatentedJuly 25, 1916.

6 SHEETS-SHEET I.

INVENTOR.

John L awson.

WITNESSES.

I. LAWSON.

CIRCULAR KNITTING MACHINE. APPLICATION FILED JUNE 14. 1912.

l ,1 92,329. Patented July 25, 1916.

6 SHEETSSHEET 2.

I LAWSON. CIRCULAR KNITTING MACHINE.

APPLICATION FILED JUNE I4, I9I2.

J'ok Lawson.

INVENTOR,

Patented July 25, 1916.

6 SHEETSSHEET 3 .l. LAWSO'N.

CIRCULAR KNITTING MACHINE. APPLICATION FILED JUNE 14, 1912.

Patented July 25, 1916.

6 SHEETS-SHEET 4.

INVENTOR.

I Ja Lczwaorz.

J. LAWSON.

CIRCULAR KNITTING MACHINE.

APPLICATION FILED JUNE I4, 1912- Patented July 25, 1916.

6 SHEETS-SHEET 5 INVENTOR- Jokn Lawson.

J. LAWSON.

CIRCULAR KNITTING MACHINE. APPLICATION F'ILED JUNE :4. 1912.

1,192,829.. Patented July 25, 1916.

6 SHEETS-SHEET 6.

CIRCULAR-KNITTING MACHINE.

messes.

To all whom itmay concern: 1

Be it known that I, JoH-N LAWSON, a

The object of the invention herewith is to provide knitting-machines,say of the class referred to above, with improved means adapted more,especiallyfor the automatic 1 '20 production of hosiery in which thetubular portions thereof, 2'. 6., the leg and foot, are knitted from twoor more independent main threads by the coaction of aplurality of.

series of needles, a pair of cam-blocks, which may be termed mamandsecondary, respectlvely, carry ng raise and draw cams and otherdevices .used in connection :therewith; the result being to produce insaid tubular parts of the stocking wales of intercon- 1 nected accordionstitches. In the formation and production of this type of knitted stitch(accordion stitch) I employ groups of long, medium and short-buttneedles (hereinafter designated simply long, me-

dium, and short needles, respectively) arranged in the needle-cylinderas follows All the grooves in one-half its circumference carrylong andshort needles alternating with one another, while all the 40 grooves ofthe other semi-circumference carry medium and short needles, alsoalternating. In normal quick-speed tubular knitting during theproduction of accordion stitches, both the main and secondary can blocksare positioned inward contiguous to the cylinder. In this condition allthe needles successively engage theraise-cam of the main cam-blockandare deflected upward to cast the loops from the latches, as usual,followed immediately by the action of the draw-cam, which in turnsuccessively defleets the needles downward, thereby closing'the latchesto retain the newly fed main thread in the needles hooks and at the sametime "cast ofi the old loops into the web-in a well-known way. When theneedles arr ve ED STATES P r Specification of Letters Patent.Application filedJune 14, 1912. Serial no. 703,628.

Patented July25, 1916.

at the secondary cam-block to receive the corresponding thread, all'ofthem (except the short needles) are actuated substantially OFFICE.-

JOHN LAWSON, OF CENTRAL FALLS RHODE ISLAND.

as just stated with respect to-the main thread and its cam-block. At thesame instant, all the short needles, being one-half the total numberofneedles in the cylinder, are, by means of an inter-mediate cam,successively diverted downward, below the secondary draw-cam, therebypreventing the short 'needles from receiving the secondary thread. 1

From thispoint onward all the needles are carried around by the cylinderto be acted.

upon by themain raise-cam, as before described, thus producing a Webhaving alter- In order to produce heel and toe portions in the type ofstocking under consideration, a

the needles in one-half of the cylinder (bemg all the long needles andthe short orjack needles alternating with them) are moved upwardtemporarily out ofknitting action;

-nate wales of plain and accordion stitches...

dles each have a jack mounted therebelowin the correspondingneedle-groove. In my improved knitting-machine the act of moving theclutch or analogous member to interlock with the slow-speed memberchanges the movement-of the needle-cylinder from a continuous rotary toa slower, but rotary-reciprocatory movement; the act also simultaneouslypositions the instep-cam to elevate the long needles, and atthe sametime auto-' matically positions a jack-cam inward in the path of thebutts of the jacks so as to'be engaged by the latter for elevating thecorresponding short needlesout of action. At the same time, too, thesecondary cam-block is retracted to the outward position, therebypermitting the active needles to move freely and idly past its face.the. secondary cam-blocks said outward movement, the correspondingsinker-cam is Concurrently with v moved inward, the-secondary thread istemporarily withdrawn from knittingaction and the widening pickspositioned to engage the then active needles. .At the-completion of theheel part the said temporarily idle dew vices automatically resume theirnormal functions, that is, the movement of the shipper or clutch tointerlock with the quickspeed clutch member causes the cylinder to.again move in a continuous rotary manner,

the secondary cam-block is moved inward, the jack-cam is moved outward,the instepcam is moved downward, the upper member thereof at the sametime deflecting all the idle needles back into the'working plane fornormal action, the main threads reintro- ,duced to the needles, and thesinker-cam stitches.

moved outward again, thus repositioningthe devices to produce a tubularweb havlnglts circular courses provided with accordion In theaccompanying six sheets of drawings illustrating an automatic circularknitting machine embodying my invention, and

as arranged for producing ,a tubular knitted web having accordionstitches, Figure 1 is a front side elevation showing the several devicesin the normal circular knitting condition. Fig. 2 is a corresponding endelevation, viewed from the left of Fig. 1, some of the parts beingomitted. Fig. 3 is a top plan view, in enlarged scale.- Fig. 4: is a topplan viewof-the' needle-cylinder, in p a 'tion, showing the arrangementof the groups v of needles. Fig. 5 'is a transverse sectional'viewft'aken, on line 5 5 of Fig. 6, showing thejack-cam, etc. Fig. 6 isa partialhorizontal sectional'view, taken on line 6-.-6 of I Fig. 5.Fig. 7 is an enlarged top' plan view' 86 of. the device for holding thesecondary threadin the floating ,or inactive position.

I Fig. '8 is a side elevation of the holder. Fig.

9 is an elevation of the main cam-block and 'its knitting cams, showingits inner end. no,

Fig. 10 is a similar .view of the secondary cam-blocka'nd itsknitting-cams. Fig. 11 is a cross-section, enlarged, taken on line 11 ofFig. 1, showing arrangementof cam for actuatm'g the secondary cam-block.l Fig. 12

is an enlargedend view of the cam for'posltlon ng the' widening picksjFig. 13 is 'a similar view-of the camfor actuating the thread-severingmeans. I are represented in the relative angular positions. ,Fig. 15 isa partial transversesectional view, takensubstantially on line w of.

2 secondarythread-guide andcorresponding sinker-cam. Fig. 14 isan endview of the cam 'forcontrolllng the movements of Fig. 3, showing, thesecondary thread in the normal and inactiveposition, and Fig. 16

represents,'enlarged, a back view of a portion of the fabric produced.

The following is a more detailed descriptron of the improved mechanism,&c., forming the subject of this application for pat- 1 ent as comb nedor associated with coop-v eratmgelements of an automatic circularknitting-machine. The machine; as a whole is capable of producingseamless stockings See arrows.

'said patented machine No. 933,443.

The, several cams tively, the said "blocks are positioned belowspring-pressed narrowing-picks P, these lat having the tubular from aplurality of independently introduced main threads (two are shown) whichare converted into knitted courses, each course consisting of alternateplain and accordion stitches, which constitute correparts thereofknitted sponding longitudinal wales in the web or tubular portion.

The machine is or may be provided with any suitable driving andspeed-changingmechanism. The drawings represent thedrivingshaft-provided with a sliding clutch b a clutch-shipper 0,pattern-chain C, main camshaft 8, barrel-cam B secured to the latter,and other coeperating devices to which I make no claim herewith. Theshaft 3 and the members secured thereto make one complete revolutionwhile producing'a stocking, or knitted unit, and in one direction only.

A, in the drawings, designates a frame or various instrumentalities orelements mount produce stockings having the characteristic stitch abovereferred'to. The knitting-machine, in general, is substantially like thehousing of a knitting-machine, having the ed thereon, constructed andarranged to The The needle grooves I is provided with" long' and short(butt) needles '0, a), respectively, alternating :with

one another. The said jacks h (Fig. 5) are positioned below the shortneedles 12 of this half only.\ The other half 3 of thecylinder carriesmedium and short (butt) needles r 'v only, these also alternating withone an- I other. At two substantially diametrically opposite pointsmovable guides-u, n are po siti'oned for the mairiand secondary threads2 and t respectively; these guides, when in normal use, introduce thethreads into the hooks of the-needles. See Figs." 1, 2,- and 3..

are mounted diametrically opposed main and secondary cam-blocks D, Drespecthe-thread-guides which carry the main and f At'or near the baseof the needle-cylinder secondary threads, respectively; The. inner faceof the main blockD. (Fig. 9) is proor knitting-cams, and also rightandrlcfts ter being brought into action in knitting the heeln-nd toepartsof the stocking, while'the cylinder 1s movmg in arotary-reciprocatory manner, substantially as usual. The other,-

or opposite, cam-block D automatically .vided with raise and draw camsm, 01

movable in a radial direction; it is also provided with raise anddraw'cams m respect'ively, and an intermediate guide-cam. m. The innerface of" the raise-cam m is I provided with a comparatively shallow re-'cess or groove 23?, the same being located in the path of the butts ofthe normally travelv ing needles. As thus devised, the long and mediumneedles are caused to move upward on the incline w to cast the loopsfrom the latches preparatory to 'receiving the second- I ary thread inthe open hooks, the came the mainrhre'a-d an?l v -meanwhile closing thelatches and casting the formed loops fromthese needles into the web. Atthe same time the butts of all the otherg(or alternate) needles, al w lfreely enter the groove as, without shedding their loops, and aredeflected by means of said intermediate guide-cam m downward to rejointhe column of newly threaded needles;

all the needles then move upward past the heel of cam 00. In Fig. 10 zdesignates short I butt needles. 1

In producing the tubular part of the stocking' all the needlessuccessively cast the old loops-therefrom into the web by means ofdraw-cam m at the same-time receiving the main thread t into their hooksto form new loops. The column of advancing needles upon arriving at theraise cam m causes the column to separate, as just described.

Fig. 16 represents a developed? portionof the circular web,- enlarged,viewed from the back or inner face, wherein t indicates t the secondarythread; said thread t is fe to the hooks of. all the needles in passingthe main cam-'block'D (see Fig. 9), thereby interlocking the main threadwith the loops already on'the needles and casting said loops therefrominto the web to form the courses 2, 4 6, etc., indicated' .in Fig. 16.The clrcumferential column of needles is automatically dividedin'passing the secondary cam-block D (Fig. 10), one-half the needles,being every other one, are moved upward to receive the secondary threadt and interlock it with the loops '2? of these needles at thecasting'olfpoint,- the other half of the-needles, being the interveningor short butt needles, are

guided belowthe secondary thread and do not cast the loops it from thelast named needles; the divided columnof needles reunite at the base ofknitting cam s and move upward to the normal plane to' again engage thecam w of block D, in producing the'next circular course.

By reason of the fact that all of the needles are caused to knit astheypass the main cams at one course, while only every alternate needle iscaused to knit as the needles passthe secondary-cams at the nextcourse,-the respective wales t and i will be of different formation, asshown. in Fig. 16.

In order to change the direction of move ment of the cylinder from acontinuous rotary (shown in Fig. 1) to' a reciprocatoryrotary, so as toknit the heel and toe por tions, the intermittent action of the cam Bcauses the roll; 0 carried on the lower end of the shipper c to passthrough a gap b and engage the opposite face of rib 0 thereby slidingthe clutch to the left to interlock with the reducedspeed gearing. Atthe same'time the shipper movement operates, through its liiilcc jointedto the bellcrank lever .0 to position the usual lower instep-cam F totemporarily guide all the long needles upward out of action. SimuLtaneously with this-movement a member 0 (Figs. '5' and 6) connected tosaid link and operating throughza cam-slot 0 causes a spring-pressedjack-cam E to move radially inward and position itself in the path ofthe butts of the said jacks 5., thereby causare taking place, thesecondary cam-block D and its members are moved bodily out- .ward fromthe cylinder, thereby allowing all the then working needles (beingone-half of the total number i. 6., the medium needles and theshortneedles alternating with them) to travel freelypast the face of cams m x00 while the cylinder is reciprocating. The

retraction or outward movement of the camblock is effected by a cam-lugn of the barrel B, a tilting member a and rod n? connected thereto andto a fulcrumed angle lever n in turn connected to a horizontal link ajointed to a supported swinging lever at whose opposite end is jointedtoa member n carryingrods n fixed to the block D Springs (Z automaticallyreposition the block inward when the front or free end of member n againengages the barrels surface.

Concurrently withthe outward movement 10f the secondary cam-block Dother mechanisms are employed for moving, the secondary knitting-threadt and secondary sinkercam 6 out of normal position and action,

' as follows: A cam C fixed to shaft-s, is pro- .vided with peripherallyseparated cam-lugs 'f; these latter, when engaged by the free.

end of a pivotally mounted horizontal lever Z, more the connectedmembers Z Z in a vertical direction. A guided, vertically extendingspring-pressed'rod Z is supported by the pivoted arm member'l the upperend of the rod iswedge-shaped'and adapted Y to engage with and actuatethe Secondary sinker-cam 6. At the same time an upwardly extending-arm afixed to-rod Z is adapted to actuatev the secondary thread-guide upivoted to a bracket fixed to the latchguard H and bodily movable withit. As

thus devised, "the act of movingthe rod 1 upward also'moves thesecondary sinker-cam e outward, corresponding withthe normal knittingposition, and also swings the secondary thread-guide to place its threadin normal knitting action, the secondary knitting-cams then, of course,being in the inward position; a reverse or downward movement of the rodZ in connection with the spring t", operates to withdraw the verticalrod from sinker-cam e, the spring e automatically moving it (cam e)inward to,

its limit. At the same instant, too, the rod Z is withdrawn from thethread-guide at, thereby enabling the spring 23 to automatically swingthe guide through the opening 8 of, the latch-guard, 'thus carrying itsthread inward back of the needles and out of knitting action, orfloating; Figs? and '15 represent the position of the idle secondarythread 6 when the cylinder is moving n a rotary-reciprocatory manner.The engagement of the lever Z with the peripheral surface of a lug fplaces and holds the elements u ande in the normal knitting positions.

Contiguous to the saidcam C is secured to the intermittingly movablecam-shaft. s a cam G which may be termedthe wideningcam.- Thislast-named cam in its angular movements actuates a suitably fulcrumedhorizontal lever 01 having its rear end jointed to a verticallink d inturn jointed at the top to apivoted-lever d having a vertically guidedspring-pressed rod ii supported on the levers' free end. The rod d, in

connection wit means of well-known .or-

usual construction, together with said.cam

C are caused to position the wideningpicks 1 as required during theknitting of the heel and .toe pockets of a stocking.

While the needle-cylinder is being rotated in -a reciprocatory mannerand producing the said heel and toeportion's the secondarymainknitting-thread is held in a temporarilyinactive orfloating.condit'ion by means about to be described. A. substantiallyflat horizontal base or plate B is normally located within theneedle-row, and, is detachably secured tothe swinging latchguard H'byscrews passing through a bent arm f intoa rearward extension of thelatch-guard. To-the upper face of the member B is adjustably secured athread holder device L adapted. to hold. the' secondary thread while itis being oscillated idly or floating to and fro in unison with thereciprocating cylinder and its attachedwork. The member L (shown mostclearly in Figs.

.ing and thread-clamping means.

' ated and controlled through the medium of vided with an arcuate slot,in the outer end 7, 8, and 15) consists of a substantially flat I plate1" having its inner edge out to produce a narrow open slit r to receivethe secondary thread 27 and hold it therein when it is floating orreciprocating with-the cylinder.

The plate part 1- adjacent the-slit is bent'to assist in guiding thethread into the opening.. The 'outer edge of the holder 'forms a vwell-rounded flange 1' terminating in an upturned, end 1". -A' portionof the stock at a point opposite said slit 1 is bent upwardly to producean elongated guide-arm member r adapted to further insure the propervpresentation. of the secondary thread to the needles during circularknitting. .Figs. 7 and 15 indicate a position of the thread t when thecylinder is reciprocating, the inner end portion 25" of the threadwhenthus a comparatively long lever k pivoted to the latch-guard, andsuitable cooperating mem bers, connected to the lever. The rearwardlyextending arm 76 of the lever is proof which is slidably supported andjointed a guided, downwardly. extending connecting rod 70 in turnconnectedto intermediate members which are moved by means of apivotedleverlc whose front or free end 70* knitting operation wherethreads are to be temporarily moved out of knitting action and severedthe last-named cam is provided 0 with correspondingly positioned vcam-l11gs or dogs-m which cause the lever 70 to os'cil' late quicklyandoperate cutters whenever the ,lever engages a lug. Said action, in

connection with. the leverjc, &c., also oper- 1.15

ates the said thread-clamping device H at the sametime. k Inthe-production of stockings upon my improved knitting machine,constructed to employ independent main and secondary 1 knitting-threads,i. e., double-feeding means,

simultaneously, the same in knitting the normal tubular portions of theweb also produces in said tubular parts circularly arranged parallellongitudinal rows or wales 5 of different formation, as shown in Fig-{16;

In order to. change the movements o- -the needle-cylinder of my improvedcircular knitting-machine from continuous rotary to rotary reciprocatingmovements, as in knit- 130.

'normally 'rests uponthe periphery of the cam C. At certain places inthe stockingting the heel and toe portions of a stocking said changesthe narrowing and widening a picks, together with the correspondingthreads, are positioned for normal action substantially as usual,followed later by repositioning the main and secondary threads andcooperating means to resume normal circular knitting in which thecourses consist of plain and accordion stitches, as beforestated. .i a

I claim: a l

1. In a circular knitting machine, the combination of a needle-cylinderprovided with alternating long and short-butt needles, means for feedingmain "and secondary threads to the needles, main knitting camspositioned to engage and actuate all said needles to knit with the mainthread, a second set of knitting cams comprising a cam constructed toengage and actuate the alternating long-butt needles to knit with thesecondary thread and to cause the alternating short-butt needles to passby said second set of knitting cams without knitting, andpattern-controlled means for moving said last-named cam into and out ofneedleengaging position. I g

,2. In a.- circular knitting-machine, the combination of aneedle-cylinder provided with alternating long and short-butt needles,independent means for feeding main and secondary threads to the needlesat oppositely disposed points, a main cam-block provided withneedle-elevating and needledepressing cams positioned to be engaged atthat point by the butts of all the needles during rotary knitting, asecondary cam- I block provided with normal needle-elevating and normalneedle-depressing cams, said needle-elevating cam arranged to raise thebutts of the long-butt needles only, an auxiliary needle-depressing camlocated intermediate the said needle elevating and needle-delpressingcams of the secondary cam bloc whereby during the said rotary knittingall the long-butt needles are-nor-- mally actuated to cast loops fromthe latches and take in the secondary thread, while at the,;;same timethe alternate or short-butt needles pass direct to said auxiliary camand are deflected by it without casting loops from the latches or takingin the secondary thread, the two classes of needles later reuniting in asinglecolumn to be sucessively normally acted upon by the knitting-camsof said main cam-block, means for moving 'butt needles, a main cam-blockprovided with needle-elevating and needle-depressing cams positioned tobe normally and operatively engaged by the butts of all the neeneedl'esduring rotary knitting, a secondary cam-block provided with normalneedleelevating and normal needle-depressing cams for operativeengagement with the long-butt needles, an auxiliary needle depressingcam located intermediate the two said secondary needle actuating camsfor moving the short-butt needles only, said auxiliary cam being securedto the secondary cam-block, and means for introducing a secondary threadtothe long-butt needles, constructed and arranged whereby during theknitting of rotary courses all the long-butt group of needles in passingthe secondary cams are normally actuated to cast their loops and take inthe secondary thread, whileat the same time the alternate or short-buttgroup of needles are deflected by means of said auxiliary cam to rejectthe secondary thread, all the needles of the cylinderv later passing insuccession to the main cam-block to be acted upon by its' cam inknitting the corresponding circular course, substantially as described.

I 4. The combination, in an automatic circular knitting-machine, of agrooved knitting-cylinder having a circular row. of needles mountedtherein, oppositely positioned main and supplemental knittingcams, meansfor feeding a main knittingthread to all the needles to be norniallyand,successively acted upon by the main knitdles, means for feeding a mainthread to said ting-cams, means for successively feeding a secondaryknitting-thread to-each alternate needle of said needle row, means forautomatically positioning saidsupplemental knitting-cams with respect tothe needle- "cylinder so as to be engaged by the said alternate needlesand atthe same time casting loops from the last named needles inknitting the corresponding circular course of the web being produced,said secondary threadbutt and short-butt jack-needles mounted therein,independently movable guidesfor main and secondary- Imittingthreads, re

spectively, main and secondary knittingcams arranged in relation to saidguides, speed-changing mechan1sm,mcluding a movable clutch member, andmeans controlled .by; said member for rendering the long-butt andshort-butt jack-needles temporarily inoperative upon moving the saidclutch-member from mechanism causing continuous rotary actionintomechanism adapted to move the cylinder m arotary-reciprocatorymanner.

6. The combination, in an automatic circular knitting machine, of arevoluble cylinder having groups of long-butt, short-butt,

and short-'butt'jack-needles mounted there in, main and secondaryknitting-cams, speedchanging mechanism, including a movable clutchelement, an instep-cam, a jack-cam, and means connected with, saidclutch-element and said instep and jack cams, where by\ the act ofmoving the clutch toactuat'e the cylinder in a rotary-reciprocatory manner simultaneously positions the jack-cams and causes them, in coactionwith the instep cans, to move the long-butt and short-butt jack-needlesupward out of knitting action.

7 The combination, in an automatic'cir- 1 cular knitting-machine, of arevoluble cylin.'-

der having groups of long-butt, short-butt,

, cam, speed-changing mechanism, including jack-needles and thesaidsecondary threadand short-butt jack-needles mounted therein, mainand secondary knitting-cams, means for feeding main and secondaryknittingthreads to the needles, an,instep-cam,'a jacka clutch element,and means cooperating with the latter and with said instep and jack camsand with said secondary thread-feed ing means and secondaryknitting-cams, whereby upon'moving the clutch in one direction the saidlong-butt and short-butt means, including a slidable clutch element, the

combination therewith of a radially movable jack-cam, jacks mountedbelowsaid shortbutt jack-needles and engageable with them,

,neously.

a vertically movable instep-cam, and means for positioning said instepand jack cams,

whereby the co-action of the revolving cylin;

der and jacks causes the corresponding short-butt 'jack and long-buttneedles to move upward out of knitting action simulta- 9. In anautomatic knittingmachine having a revoluble knitting-cylinder providedwith sets of needles having buttsvarying in length, the combinationtherewith of a vertically movable instep-cam, a radially mov-. ablejack-cam positioned below the instepcam, jacks-mounted :below andengageable with certain of the needles, and means in continuousengagement with speed-changing mechanism for positioning the said jackand instep-cams in the respective circular paths of the correspondingneedles to cause them 7 to be temporarily moved upward out of knittingaction. 1 4

10. In a double-feed. hosiery knitting-machine provided with aneedle-cylinder having two groups of needles movably mounted therein, inwhich the needles of one group- I alternate (singly) with the needles ofthe needle-cylinder, the combination therewith of a main cam-blockhaving raise and draw cams secured thereto for causing all the 'needlesto knit in succession, a secondary, cam-block, lndependent raise anddraw cams secured to its inner face,- said raise cam arranged'to elevateonly thee-needles of one group, an auxiliary cam disposed between thelast-named raise and draw cams and other group, and means for actuatingthe' also secured to the secondary cam-block, said I auxiliary-camarranged to be engaged by the needles unacted upon by the said secondaryraise cam and deflect them downward below the secondary thread feedingpoint, the two groups of needles being reunited in passing under thesecondary draw cam; a cam path arranged to guide the said reunitedcolumn of needles upward to a com- "mon plane, and means for moving thesec-. ondary cam-block radially relatively to the.

needle-cylinder. 4 Y

- In testimony whereof I have aflixed my signature in presence oftwowitnesses.

Witnesses: HENRY; P. STONE,

CALVIN H. BROWN.

JOHN LAWSON--

